Understaffing Leads to Nursing Home Abuse
Last weekend, NBC’s affiliate in Lansing, Michigan, reported that the vast majority of elderly abuse in nursing homes and other skilled nursing facilities can be attributed to “unintentional neglect,” because nursing home staff are simply overworked. The reporter explained, while 11 percent of older adults in the US experienced some form of elder abuse in the last year, the majority of problems that occur in nursing homes happen because the facilities are understaffed and the workers are usually not provided with sufficient training.
“Aides are forced to choose who gets what care…neglect happens, poor care happens and sometimes abuse happens,” according to the video report. Additionally, the reporter explained, only one registered nurse is required in a facility during an entire eight hour shift; she added, “it’s time we put the nurse back into the nursing home.”
If employees are overworked and pushed to handle an unmanageable number of nursing home residents who require help with toileting, mobility, eating and other labor-intensive work, aides can become overwhelmed.
The video report went on to say: What we’re learning is that nurse aides are put in positions, really morally distressing positions, where they don’t have a choice about the quality of care they provide. They don’t have enough time to take good care of every patient, and some good nurses and aides are forced to neglect patients.
Poorly trained and overworked nursing home staff situations can lead to serious injuries and worse. Nursing home residents and their families should not accept this. When this happens they can complain to the facility, the State authority that inspects and regulates nursing homes and contact an attorney with experience prosecuting nursing home neglect cases.
If your loved one has been the victim of elderly abuse or neglect, contact Sugarman Law today for a free consultation about your case. We will investigate your suspicions and fight tirelessly to get your family the justice you deserve.
